THE HERMITS’ QUARREL.

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 169, 12 April 1930, Page 28

THE HERMITS’ QUARREL.

»« » , Once upon a time there were two old hermits who lived together, apart from other people, for years and years. They had always been fond of each other. Then, one day it occurred to one of the hermits that it might be interesting to have a quarrel. So he said to his brother hermit: “We have lived together so long in peace. Wouldn’t it iiven things up a bit if we had a fight once?” “Well, probably it might,” agreed the other, “but how could we ever fight? I’m sure I haven’t the least idea how we could begin a quarrel.” The other hermit thought hard for a while and then he had a bright idea. “I’ll lay my hat here on the table and say, ‘Now I want you to know that that hat is mine.’ Then you say, ‘No, it’s not. That hat is mine.’ If we both keep that up for a while we may be able to get a quarrel started.” So the hermit with the bright idea laid his hat on the table and said, “That hat belongs to me.” “Oh, no,” said the other hermit, “you are altogether wrong about that. That hat belongs to me.” “Now, look here, that hat is mine. , Don’t you think I have sense enough to know my own hat when I see it?” came the rejoinder. “Well, that’s so. You certainly ought to know your own hat when you see it, so if you insist that the hat is yours, naturally it must be yours,” replied the other hermit with whom peacemaking had become second nature.

And so the quarrel which they had intended to start came to an end because one of the hermits just couldn’t bring himself to keep it up. While the quarrel which the hermits tried to start seems very foolish, we need to remember that many petty quarrels are almost as silly as that. Moreover, any such quarrel can be brought, to a speedy end by acting like the hermit who refused to keep it going.